A Cure for Poison
by Ink Chimera
Summary: Short Story. Without progress, the gang goes to visit Kaede and Kagome goes back to her time to finish some projects. Kikyo comes for a visit with unexpected motives. Kaede asks for favors. Also, what happened to Rin? Some Sessho X OC   EDITING
1. Departure

(A.N. - This is my first fan fiction. Ever. (: I spent a lot, well not really, time writing it. Kikyo is my favorite female from InuYasha, so InuYasha and herself will be the pairing. I warn you, there will be a bit of InuKago, which I detest but still have to put to make it work. My apologies. :p I just wanted this to be somewhat realistic.

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Chapter 1: Departure

He grew and grew more anxious by the minute. They had no leads on Naraku, and they hadn't found a single fragment of the jewel in weeks. His friends gave him an apologetic look as they walked in direction of Old Kaede's village.

"InuYasha… I have to go back to my time for a few days. I have some test and projects to take care of." Said Kagome with a low voice as she hurried to catch up to him, but said loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. Under the circumstances that there hadn't been any progress in a while, she thought about it a lot and decided she needed some time off. She was deep in thought about it, even when she told her friends. Kagome looked at the floor as she walked when she stopped and look back only to find her friends staring at her, realizing she had walked ahead of all of them without noticing.

"Well, I guess that's alright… But if something comes up, I'll drag you back myself." Said the half-breed as he continued walking forward without any hesitation to look back or stop. _Jerk _thought the school girl, but she had to agree that what he had said was understandable.

"Aww! Kagome don't leave!" Shippo, her little fox friend, ran towards her pouting and holding onto her like a little kid never wanting to leave his mother's side. The girl looked at him and smiled. Slowly, crouching, she put her hand on Shippo's orange hair and started to mess is up a bit. "I'll be back before you know it Shippo!" She commented as she took him in her arms and gave him a hug.

After the warm hug the two friends shared, she put him down and observed him and her other friends, Sango and Miroku, who gave her slight nods letting her know they understood.

The day seemed to go fast. His amber colored orbs looked at the sunset that was now taking over. Beautiful, elegant. Colors of yellow and orange combined with a soft pink now seemed to appear. Part of the sun being covered by fluffy, white clouds. He admired the newly colored sky for a while, until he continued walking, when it seemed to bring memories of his once Dear Kikyo.

Everyone was quiet during the walk. Maybe a few chats happening between Shippo and Kagome, maybe Sango and Miroku, but the serenity was incessant.

With the silence still at hand, they reached the hut of the old woman. InuYasha sniffed a bit the air only to find the sweet scent of ramen soup coming from the Old Priestess hut, yet no one else but him noticed. Kagome once again looked at the floor. As the mid-day wind blew their way she spoke with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I won't stay for the night. I want to go take a shower and sleep on my bed guys. So, I'll be leaving now!" She finished, plastering a smile on her face. She hated leaving her friends behind, especially InuYasha. She always had so much fun in the feudal era.

InuYasha looked at her before she could turn and face the way to where the well that allowed her to pass from her time to Japan's Feudal Era would be found. "I'll take you there, just in case some demon tries to pull something stupid." InuYasha stated as he started walking besides Kagome who just followed.

"Wait, -" said Sango, hurrying to their side while carrying her little demon cat Kirara "- I'll take her. You can talk to lady Kaede and set up our things so we can wait for Kagome." the woman demon slayer said as she looked at him with content eyes. The half demon dog just let out a scoff, walking the way where the monk and the little fox where located. "Hurry up-" demanded InuYasha looking back at her, not fully turned around "- the food will be cold if you don't."

"Kagome, Kagome!" said Shippo as he ran towards the girl wearing green and white. "I'll miss you Kagome. Come back soon!" He chanted happily as he waved and happily got into the hut. Happiness and satisfaction spread through Kagome's body as a smile spread across her face without her notice.

—**°w°— ****(Definition: Moments After)**

"Sango your back" said Miroku as she watched his lover enter the hut. At the side of the woman was her loyal kitty, stretching, feeling the ground under her paws and laying next to Shippo, falling asleep.

"Here's your food my dear child" said the wise priestess handing her a green bowl of steaming soup. "Thank you for keeping it warm, Kaede-Sama." told Sango as she took a hold of the bowl and went to sit carefully by Miroku.

Kaede looked at all of them with concern on her eye. "So, why are ye children here?" she asked sincerely as she calmly sat down, stirring the soup left in the big black bowl at the small fireplace she had made. InuYasha felt frustration cradling up his spine. "No leads on Naraku, nor a new found fragment of the Shikon Jewel." Miroku saved the frustrated man a loss of breath. For that, InuYasha was glad since it had seemed no one wanted to answer.

"I see" Kaeda whispered to herself as the night grew stronger. After the hot meal everyone went to sleep, yet InuYasha did not leave his guard down. _Something's coming…_

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(A.N – Sorry for the short first chapter! D; I promise to make up for it, making the next one longer. (: I promise~ Oh.. P.S. Kagome is finally gone! ;DDDDD ..Anyways, R&R? Remember.. first fan fiction? ^w^)


	2. UnWanted Reunion

**(A.N.)Chapter 2! As said. ^w^ Sorry it took me a while. D:**

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Chapter 2: "Unwanted" Re-Union

He opened his yellow emotionless eyes to find everyone still asleep. Peaceful as ever, a million thoughts came to his mind. _'When is Kagome getting back?' 'Naraku still has almost every shard' 'No leads have been found yet'_ InuYasha let out a sigh as he decided to go for a walk to clear his mind from the negative thoughts.

Outside he could see the bright new day. Smell of fresh air now filled his nostrils. A new clear baby blue sky with barely any clouds and a sun who shined more than the light of an innocent soul. Meanwhile the village was silent. Not one villager up to greet the new found day yet. The perfect time to go for a walk. No artificial noises, no voices besides his own and the wonderful singing of the birds at sunrise. His bare feet leading him to the forest where the well was located, yet not exactly in the direction of where it was. The half-breed then found himself on top of a willow tree without leaves like a bird without feathers. Soon moments after, he found himself drifting into a deep sleep.

—**°w°—**

Shippo woke to find the corner where InuYasha slept empty. His mind had an urge to wake Sango to look for him, but his body was too tired then to want to stand. As a calm hand touched his back, his eyes flew open to see the old priestess.

"Do not worry my child. He seems to have went for a walk." She responded when she noticed the little fox looking around the room looking for his dog friend.

The little demon let out a sigh of relief and stood up, stretching his little arms up to find himself yawning. He was still tired for some unknown reason. _Maybe it's because I miss Kagome... _he told himself as he went over to Kaede's side. "Lady Kaede, can we go pick up some flowers?-" he asked with an excited voice. "-I want to give them to Kagome when she gets back."

"I don't see why not." responded the priestess as she walked outside with Shippo.

They were now on their way to a field of flowers near the hut. In a way, he was sad since his friend was gone, yet he was happy because she would come back soon. At least, he hoped. The woman in front of him had seemed to ask him a question, yet he was too caught up with his thoughts to notice.

The old woman noticed and so she stopped walking and turned around to face the little guy. With her smile turning into a straight line she placed her old hand onto his shoulder. "Shippo, listen to me. What kind of flowers does Kagome like?" she asked as well and noticed he was now paying attention. He let out a "hmm" while putting a hang on his little chin. The small fox searched and picked in his little brain, digging and struggling to find the needed information. "Gomen nasai, Lady Kaede..." he began "I forgot... but she likes most types of flowers!" the fox added at the end, raising a finger and making a smile bigger than ever, showing his little white teeth and little fangs. "I see" she said as she continued walking forward.

Back at the hut Miroku now waked Sango up. "Ohayo, Sango-san" said the monk happily as he smiled a bit. "Ohayo, Miroku." replied the woman as she stood up and stretched. Kirara had seemed to wake up also, stretching as well and now going towards her master. "Good morning to you too Kirara!" said the demon slayer as she crouched and patted Kirara's head only to find her respond as a soft purr. She got up to find that neither Shippo, InuYasha nor Kaede were inside the hut. "Where's everybody?"

Miroku's eyes followed from Kirara to the woman he loved.

"I was half awake when Shippo and Lady Kaede went to pick up some flowers." he stated, standing and yawning, offering the woman a helping hand for her to take and joyfully stand up after she sat back down. Sango happily took it and stood up slowly, letting go of his hand soon after she was standing. "I see," she whispered mostly to herself as she continued with a more powerful tone. "lets go take a walk ourselves, Miroku." the beautiful girl finally finished, giving him a warm smile. The monk felt as butterflies arrived at his stomach, giving his mind different type of thoughts. Good ones, happy ones, but then an evil laugh appeared on his head making perverted thoughts viewed on it also. He shook of his head no, trying to make the thoughts vanished. Sango noticed his head shaking no without any difficulty, she wondered if everything was okay but never mentioned anything. "Of course!" Miroku shouted as he took her hand and gave her a grin. _'Creepy...'_ the girl thought, never taking her newly found smile on her face, walking out of the hut, being followed by her demon cat, Kirara.

"Lady Kaede! Look!" Shippo called out happily as he showed the old woman the flower he had picked.

He had picked up a fallen cherry blossom. A pretty flower that grows on a Cherry Tree known as Sakura. A good omen, and an emblem of love. _'Perfect' _thought the little fox as he looked at it with more detail. Five beautiful petals, all colored in nearly peaceful white mixed with the softest pink one simple mind could imagine, especially near the stern. This cherry blossom has the name of _Somei Yoshino._ These flowers would bloom and fall within a week, before the leaves come out. Yet it's beauty was remarkable. "Do you think she'll like it, Lady Kaede?" asked Shippo with a smile on his face. "Yes child, I think she'd love it." The priest stated as she noticed the confused eyes on the little fox's eyes. "Is there something bothering ye, Shippo?"

"Well... I haven't noticed any Sakura Tree's... so... how come this flower ended up here?" he asked as his eyes were permanently glued to the pretty flower he was holding. "Well, ye see, there is a Sakura tree near by. Just not in the directly we came. The wind must have blown it here." Answered Kaede.

"ah~ sokka~" Shippo exclaimed as he held the flower up. "I want to take this one for Kagome, Lady Kaede!" The look on his eyes, the look of excitement made the old woman feel her heart become warm. "Ye really miss Lady Kagome so much?" asked Kaede as Shippo looked at her with a face of disbelief. He loved Kagome. Her laugh, her hugs, her way of caring. "Hai..." the little demon said looking down. "Well then, let's get going."

The air felt soothing coming towards them, making the priestess tense. Someone was coming. She could feel their presence near, observing everything with detail and caution. The flowers of the meadow seemed to flow in the way of the wind, scattering their fragrance around the serene place. Even so, another smell came from behind the woman as she turned around. A smell she knew way too well.

"My dear sister, Kaede..." Kikyo smiled at the woman. Happily that she was in front of her. She wanted to talk to her only sister... to tell her of what had been going on. To let her feelings out, to vent and to take advise.

"Sister" The old priest said as she looked into her older sister's eyes and then trailed to where Shippo was. The eyes of the little demon changed from soothing to anger and sadness.

"What are you doing here? Are you taking advantage now that Kagome gone to take InuYasha?" screamed Shippo from the top of his lungs, not letting go of the flower who he had now held so dearly close to the heart. Kikyo observed him with her chocolate eyes. _'InuYasha...' _she thought as she suddenly shook her head, trying to forget whatever memory came to her mind. "I am only here to talk to my sister." The beautiful woman stated as she moved her eyes back to Kaede, giving her a warm caring smile. The fox's expression changed from anger to shock. _'What would she want with Lady Kaede...'_

"Child, why don't ye go with Miroku and Sango? Take care of the flower." Kaede told Shippo as he just nodded and carefully went to his friends, never letting his guard down. "Oh, Child, I almost forgot. Do me a favor." - "Yes Lady Kaede?" asked Shippo turning around to face the old woman. "Please, do not tell anyone about this. My sister will not harm me in any way." Kaede stated as her eyes went back to her sister. "Let's go home to talk, oneesan." - "Hai.." Kikyo said in a low voice as she saw Shippo give Kaede another slight nod and head off somewhere in the direction of the village.

—**°w°—**

"I am glad ye are letting these feelings out, Kikyo." Kaede stated as she offered some Green Tea which her sister gladly accepted.

"Arigato, Kaede." Kikyo said before drinking a bit of the tea her sister made.

When they arrived at the hut, Kaede had started asking Kikyo questions which who she had answered sincerely. She talked to her about Naraku, about his plans and evil doings. How she much envied not being an ordinary woman. How she desired to have her normal body, how much she still wanted InuYasha. She vented and felt stronger once again. This was not like her. Showing weakness... yet she had no choice. She wanted to let every bit of her feelings out and keep moving forward. That was the reason for her coming to her sister.

Kaede looked at Kikyo with soothing eyes. How she had missed her. Her sister knew a lot about herbs, which had come in handy whenever someone got poisoned in the small village. _!_"Sister, would ye do me a favor?" asked Kaede thinking about how the herb and medicine she currently needed she did not know of, neither did her sister. "What is it, Kaede?" Kikyo asked, putting her Green Tea down, looking confusingly at her sister.

"Ye see, there has been a few poison kind of plants not far from here. A few villagers brought some thinking it was a medicinal herb, however, instead, it was a herb which contained poison. It looked like a simple purple flower to the villagers, but I sensed the poison once they got near me. It was deep in their skin after they had touched it. The villagers who touched it, got poisoned and are on a stable condition. None of them had died yet... but I am not taking any chances. I have tried the medicinal herbs from our village, yet nothing works." Explained Kaede as her sister listened carefully. "Sister, do you mind going to the nearest village from here? In that village there is a young girl named _Tsukiko_. She specializes on poison and medicinal herbs. For her age, she knows more than this bag of bones does. Would ye please tell her to come?" Finished the old priestess hoping her sister would grand her wish.

Kikyo's mind scattered for an answer. She wanted to make her sister happy one last time before she parted. She wanted her heart to be full of emotion and warmth it was when she was younger and she let her help out with medicine and cooking. "Alright," answered Kikyo giving Kaede a warming smile after standing up. "I will bring _Tsukiko_ to you." the beautiful priestess said as she noticed something important. The presence she felt, it was getting stronger. Coming this direction. Her eyes shifted from happy to emotionless and she grabbed her bow and arrows placed by the wall.

"I must leave now," Kikyo said, walking towards the entrance of her houses hut. Then, his smell came in. InuYasha's presence right in front of her... _'Damn it...' _She cursed to herself as she noticed it was too late.

"Kikyo..." InuYasha mumbled as he felt his body tense. He knew he had caught her scent. Her beloved Kikyo. He wanted to hold her so dearly. Maybe his wish had come true.

The woman he loved stood in front of him, motionless, looking at the floor, avoiding his gaze and hiding his eyes. "Kikyo..." he whispered again moving forward to where the priestess stood as he noticed, every step he took forward, every step she took back.

"InuYasha," whispered Kikyo with a trembling voice._ 'I have to face him to get out.' _she told herself as she looked up into his amber colored eyes. She had almost forgotten her sister, staring at them with her focused mind.

"Please move aside," Kikyo ordered InuYasha as he shook his head no. "Matte..." InuYasha whispered as he walked towards her once again, noticing she had stopped moving. His arms moved by themselves, he wanted to hold her. The woman had made no movements to leave, no movements to get out of his way, she just let the half demon embrace her into a hug.

Her eyes were fallen shut, as her arms held dearly InuYasha, returning his hug. _'So warm...' _she thought as she pushed away the man she loved. "What... what is it, Kikyo?" InuYasha asked with a saddened face wondering why she had pushed him back. "I need to leave." Said Kikyo as she walked towards the entrance once again. "Your lover will come soon, don't worry."

"Sister." Kaede said as she looked at her with eyes filled with curiousness. "Why don't ye take InuYasha with you?" _'I am sorry Kagome, child... But they need to talk alone.'_ Kaede said in her mind after suggesting the idea.

"Go where?" asked InuYasha, not with a hint of annoyance in his voice or expression. With Kikyo here, he had turned into a different person. "To a near village, and bring me a old friend to help me cure some villagers." answered Kaede as she looked towards InuYasha.

Kikyo wanted to be alone with InuYasha, she desired it, now more than ever since the girl was away. Yet she did not want to give in temptation. She wanted to go alone. Be strong and helpful like always. "Kaede-" began the woman as InuYasha interrupted "I'll go." he said looking at Kikyo with eyes full of acceptance. Kikyo sighed, she knew there was no way of stopping him. Plus, her sister had set this up. "Fine." she confirmed as her sister started talking. "Stay here, ye may leave in the morning." _'Make sure you do not give in, Kikyo... stop these feelings.'_

—**°w°—**

The air was cold against her skin. Even if it was made of clay, thanks to the dead souls she had, it made her body feel real. Just slightly, she felt as if she had her normal life back, but then, her heart opened into reality. Her mind was filled with thoughts, thoughts about her old life. The life she most desired. A life where she was an ordinary woman, and he was married to _him_. _'Do not think about that, Kikyo.' _she told herself as she walked towards a river not far from her sister's home. Their home. Her feet guided her near the water, but not inside. She felt the cold water and ground on her feet. It felt nice.

Kikyo sat on the edge of the river, looking at her reflection and dipping her paled skinned feet farther into the water. As the water moved she felt herself coming nearer and nearer, watching with detailed her face. She silently observed her brown eyes. The same eyes that made _him_ fall for her. She was now thinking of her last lover yet again. Her heart did not want to be pained by him anymore, and her mind kept telling her 'forget him' yet she could do no such thing.

InuYasha watched his lover look into the water to find her reflection. She had not noticed his presence. That made him happy. She could not run away easily from him at that moment. The priestess had to endure with great pleasure his being.

He slowly got nearer and nearer, anxious to held the woman in his arms. He did not make any sound. He was quiet, like a professional assassin. Like a beautiful flower, blossoming. Soon, he was near enough to see himself standing behind her from the reflection in the water. InuYasha was sure she had noticed him, felt the warm coming from his body.

Kikyo slowly looked back at the half-breed behind her with shocked eyes. How could she had not noticed his presence? His half demon smell...

"You're getting used to me, slowly." spoke InuYasha. She kept quiet knowing how fast he had understood up to what was happening._ 'This cannot happen,' _she thoughtbefore deciding to stand up until InuYasha pulled her towards him.

"Don't push me away." he whispered in her ear with a pleading voice. "Kikyo, I love you." The priestess eyes widened, she had not heard those tree words from him since a while back. "InuYasha..." she mumbled weakly, giving in to her temptation.

She had shown weakness from the moment she had gotten here. She would allow this no longer. Kikyo pushed away from InuYasha, turning back into the forest in the direction of the village to await the morning. That was, until InuYasha pulled her back into his strong arms. "Kikyo!" he pleaded. He truly wanted to be together with her, forever. Suddenly, Kagome came into his mind. His lover noticed when his grip on her started decreasing. "You have a new lover, InuYasha." stated the woman as she turned around, facing the man she wanted to be forever with. With no power over her body, she laid a hand on his chest and said "I am going to go rest." and with that, she walked into the darkest of the forest leaving a hurt InuYasha motionless, looking into the ground.

—**°w°—**

"So it is true." Miroku looked at the woman standing by the door with focused eyes. "I told you!" Shippo screamed. He felt guilty. He had disobeyed Lady Kaede. "Lady Kaede I'm-" - "It's fine child." responded Kaede as she walked towards her sister on the hut's entrance. "Please, come in." Kaede offered as she walked to where Miruku and Sango where. "Please, forgive me, but my sister is only here to do me a favor. She will leave first thing on the morning." stated the old priestess.

"Demo... what if Kagome comes back? She'll probably leave again mad! I don't want that!" Shippo cried. It was bad enough Kagome had went away for a while, what if she stayed longer?

"Do not worry. I will not be here when the school girl comes." Whispered Kikyo, going over to a corner to try to fall asleep.

—**°w°—**

_'Why can I not sleep?' _she thought in her head.

Everyone was asleep now. Except, of course, InuYasha who had not arrived, until she thought about it. His scent flew through the entrance as he made her way to Kikyo's body. "You're awake..." the half demon whispered, crouching. Fluttering her eyes open, she looked at InuYasha's peaceful face as she scorned herself and looked away. Her body got tense when she heard the low thud he made by sitting next to her. His arms bringing her to his warm chest, embracing her, closing his eyes and falling asleep. Their bodies felt heat against each other. Perfect when the night is cold. _'Maybe I'll let this pass...'_ she thought _'just this once...'_ as her eyes fell shut, providing her a deep soundless sleep .

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Not as long as I hoped. ;n; but, it'll have to do. Make it up for the next one! ^-^Oh.. by the way, if you find any spelling errors, etc, tell me?

I was writing fast so, bleh.. .''

R&R! ~

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**ah~ sokka~ - Ah, I see**

**arigato - thank you**

**oneesan - sister**

**demo - but**

**matter - wait**

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**Thanks for the nice riview, StarPrincess. ^w^**

**I'm outies. See ya next time!**

**~Love, Makoto  
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	3. Unforgettable Events

Chapter 3: Unforgettable Events

In her head, everything was pretty silent, except the sound of the wind gently moving the leaves. She felt at east. _'I must be dreaming' _her mind told her as she clutched her eyes tightly, not wanting the light to disturb her sleep. Without much movement, she held dearly the chest that had her in his arms. _'Matte!' _Kikyo opened her eyes only to find herself being carried by the half-demon with a serene face. "InuYasha! What are you doing? -" she started screaming as she shut her eyes, wishing all of this was a dream. "-Put me down this instant!" she yelled for the last time, feeling a sudden stop.

"You're awake..." his amber eyes locked on the woman he loved as he gently whispered to himself. The woman's eyelids slowly drifted apart only to see the care hidden behind his orbs yet again. Her body felt the heat of his as he held her closer, a feeling she would love if her body was not the way it currently was. Truth was, that was what she wished the most. But it would mean taking Her body. She wouldn't mind doing so, but then she'll become InuYasha's enemy, and that was her worst nightmare.

Kikyo's head was a massive drawer full of thoughts and unorganized archives. She couldn't take it anymore, but her mind was set on the Half-demons face. His face for slightly red from all the staring, he had completely lost track of time when he observed her brown eyes.

"What were you thinking, InuYasha?" her voice, strong and steady finally spoke. InuYasha was not one to be patient, or one who could actually control his anger, but sometimes, just with her, he could. If that were Kagome, he could have shouted, but not with Kikyo, at least, not this time.

"You sleep like a baby, and I had to get you out of there without anyone bothering." he said, half frowning.

He knew that just by her presence his comrades would throw a tantrum demanding for the priestess to vanish before Kagome came back. This time, he wanted to figure out the feelings the miko tried to hide. He wanted to make sure that she felt the same way about him. She was just so hard to figure out sometimes.

Her mouth did not move, but her eyes shown a slightly relieved part of her. She inhaled the fresh air of the surroundings and sighed. She was not going to thank him, even though she was thankful. She didn't want to give him any signs. Signs that might just damage the mission. Her sister was now elderly, unable to do such things to help the village without getting help herself. Of course, Kaede said it as a favor, however, from her eyes, it was so much more. She had to do this last thing for her sister.

"You can at least put me down." she soon suggested a bit annoyed. Not sure by the fact that she actually recommended for him to put her down or that she felt like she never wanted for him to put her down. She felt drowned by her thoughts, soon shaken off once her feet felt the cold of the earthy soil through her white tabi (1). Once again she wished that she felt things to the extent of how they felt when she was human; to feel the wind flow through her hair, the small drops of water touching her face whenever it rained and the warmth of the sun as it came to view in the morning whenever she went to play with kids from the village. Her face dropped and she looked at her small feet, never giving InuYasha the back. Little did she know that she held the hanyous' complete attention. And when she shed a single tear the cold facade of both of them fell. Not a second later had he held her tighter, face hidden in his chest. Her eyes widen but soon drifted and took a breather. _'Arigato... InuYasha...'_

A mumble was heard from his chest. "We better get going." stated the priestess, pushing herself out of his chest. _"I'm strong, I am strong! Pull yourself together!"_ she repeated over and over inside her mind. It seemed that the part of her that did not want to see InuYasha was slowly vanishing by both hers and his actions.

His eyes shown concern, perhaps a little bit of hurt yet she reconstructed part of her facade and gave her back to him completely until she remembered one thing. Her head faced him midway and he could clearly see her lips moving. "InuYasha, where are my geta(2)?"

His mind was suddenly a giant void with a small orange question mark in the middle.

"Oh!,-" he started, now a faint glimmer of light appearing in the darkness "-Here." he said, opening a small brown duffel bag Kagome had brought him in case of emergencies. He took them out the bag and handing the woman in front of him her wooden sandals.

"Arigato..." said Kikyo putting on her geta and walking towards the direction of the village.

—**°w°—**

"We're here." Kikyo stated, looking at the opened wooden gateway, a few of the only entrances and exits the village had before walking in. The trip to get there was rather empty of conversation, InuYasha's eyes still glued to her body, senses sharp in case of some random demon attack. Strange would be the definition of the trip. Whenever she or Kagome would be around a few demons came to try and kill them, however, in this trip, not a single demon soul was to be found. Even thought all demons knew to never mess with a powerful priestess, especially Kikyo, anyone would think they would have attacked. After all, they would think she was being guarded my a powerless hanyou with anger issues.

Putting the matter aside, they both walked in. InuYasha getting quite closer to the woman he loved, in case she needed protection, even though perfectly well he knew she could handle herself. Help shouldn't be thrown out.

"We should ask someone about this girl." spoke InuYasha looking at his surroundings. The village seemed to be quite happy, you could easily hear children playing, laughing and adults joining in on their good time. They did not seem to care a demon was within their boundaries. True, he never got a "hello" or a nod, but still, this was an improvement from other villages citizens welcome.

"I agree" nodded Kikyo, looking at a certain hut where a child played with his mothers hair, giggles escaping both their mouths.

After the small distraction she looked at the sky. The sun was out, shining its fullest. It was afternoon and neither of them had eaten anything. Her eyes instantly flew to the grumbling stomach at her side. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as her eyes met InuYasha's faded red face. As she opened her mouth a small giggle escaped and she cleared her throat. "Would you like to get something to eat, InuYasha?" she politely asked.

Right now, his insides were turning. Part of him wanted to eat, maybe even delay the favor so they got to talk, but part of him told him to suck it up, because if Kagome came back and saw them together her bipolar side would take over and she might leave forever, WITH the shards. He wasn't sure what to choose, but standing like a fool did not do any good. He was shocked that she actually giggled, and once he noticed the small smile tugging at the side of her lips the decision was made. "Um... yeah..." he started, walking near her "That'd be nice."

Kikyo half nodded and turned around once she felt a ball hit her leg. A small boy, at least 7 years old came running up to her and stood quietly looking at her face. Kikyo's graceful hands came to the ground and grabbed the ball handing it over to the shy boy. He extended his small hands in front of the ball and looked at the priestess in the face. As she slowly put the ball in the boy's hand a warm smile spread across his face. "Arigato..." whispered holding the ball in his chest. "What's your name?" she asked, whispering. "Yukio..." was the boy's respond."Would you mind telling me where can my friend and I can eat, Yukio?" The boy simply gave a nod and pointed with one hand at his left. The place he pointed at was a rather big hut which from inside came laughter and a lot of chatter. _'Figures...' _Kikyo thought before looking back at the boy. "Arigato, Yukio." she said before watching the boy smile once again and run to where his friends were.

Looking back at the hanyou she noticed the curious look in his eyes as he watched her every move. The small smile that tugged at her lips wasn't there anymore, a full honest smile was shown as she turned half around. Truly and unforgettable moment. "Come, InuYasha.." Of course, the hanyou followed, speechless. He wondered how would it be if he was in her position. Would he yell at the kid, would he just act boringly to the boy or would he be his usual self whenever he was near Kikyo? Of course, she would be there to prevent him from turning into a full demon and causing trouble... but, what exactly would he do? The questions were all over his head, unlike him. When he was with Kikyo he shut everything off except her, making her the center of his full attention. She was like the sun and he was shattered into different planets, needing her for it to create their galaxy. And even though right now he wanted to know the answers he kept his thoughts on her and the way they were walking.

The hut from the outside looked regular, but from the inside it look better. It had small square and rectangle tables scattered around, cushions around them for the people to comfortable sit and enjoy their meal. It wasn't all that fancy, but it did not look all that regular. There were flowers vases, and waitresses were scattered around carrying food for the costumers. The village was not rich, yet they had their good things. After a few other glances they found a small table for two on one corner. Without making much noise they walked and sat facing each other. Soon after, a waitress came to them. "May I take your order?" she asked politely.

"I'm not really hungry..." Kikyo stated, looking at InuYasha with an uneasy stare. He gave her a small nod and spoke.

"Uhm... I'll have some Miso and some Sashimi Sushi."

"Hai" confirmed the maid as she wrote on a piece of paper and walked away.

InuYasha's eyes slowly found Kikyo's eyes holding her still. He was starting to forget the reason for coming here. It was hard, he was being distracted way too often, he was suppose to be here protecting her, not falling in love with her more, but that was the inevitable. Some things never change, and he knew for sure he would never feel a different way about her. There are always obstacles, in this case, his feelings for a certain school girl, but somehow he would overcome her.

"Here you go..." the waitress spoke as she came near and placed the food in the table with a pair of chopsticks. She bowed in respect and heading back over to another table.

"Itadakimasu" InuYasha said before digging in.

It was funny, actually seeing InuYasha eat like a regular human. Amusing in fact. But soon, the thoughts drifted to the mission. What kind of woman would she be? Her age must be quite younger than her sister, she said so herself. On the trip here she could smell and feel the essence of different poisons coming from leaves. From her point of view this village's protection was poison and only poison. When they got here there were not samurai, even though this was not a big village, at least having some protection wouldn't hurt. However, if they had a priestess like herself then they would not need to have much protection, depending on how powerful she was. _'Guess I have no choice...'_

Without making fuss she stood up and went to the nearest waitress and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me..."

"Yes?" asked the middle aged woman in front of her.

"May I ask you where to find a girl named _Tsukiko_?"

The woman seemed to look surprised, but the look was soon replaced by a heartfelt laugh.

"Oh dear, Tsukiko,-" she started, her hand going to her heart as small laughs came and went from her lips "-That girl is never near this part of town dearie."

"Oh?" _'I am sure this is the nearest village...'_

"She always seems to be stuck in her hut or in the forest creating or finding cure to poison everyday. I have not seen her in a while. Last time I saw her was three days ago when she came buy to drink her weekly sake and eat dango." Her finger was now on her chin, eyes staring into nowhere.

"I see.-" This was not a problem for Kikyo, after all, InuYasha was with her. "-Well, can you at least tell me where is she at this time of day?"

Snapping out of her thoughts the woman looked at her curiously with a small smile. "Of course,-" only to be soon interrupted by another woman, probably a waitress.

"Hiro-san! Hiro-san! We need you over here" came a woman about the same age jogging over to where Kikyo and Hiro stood.

"Oh, well, of course, " Hiro told the woman, facing Kikyo again. "You can find miss Tsukiko on the northwest side of the village. When you get there, ask somebodyto point you to her hut. It's not that hard to miss," Hiro bowed and turned around to leave before saying "Oh! And if you smell some Wisteria Floribunda(3) or Ashitaba(4), she'll be near."

Kikyo nodded and thanked the woman for her help, on her way to InuYasha at their table.

As she neared the hanyou she could see that he had finished eating and was now paying. "InuYasha, it is time to go." Kikyo stated receiving a nod from her now partner.

—**°w°—**

Anyone would think that by now you would have found the girl. Mistake. The northwest side of the village was not the same as the part which they were before. It was more serene, you could find less huts, and mother nature was all around. The only thing that iss the same would be the symphony of the children playing around.

Walking through a meadow with gold flowers a hut came into view and the particular smell of Wisteria was all around. It was small, and the nearer they got, the more they knew that not a soul was inside.

Kikyo half turned to InuYasha and observed an odd tree with another Wisteria plant near on the far east side of the hut. The girl was not easy to track, and if she was in the forest, demons would come for them.

InuYasha watched intently as two soul collectors carefully surrounded the priestess body. They had no souls, but they brought her bows and arrows. Once she had her weapons she caressed their heads as they vanished into the sky.

Looking at the odd tree he understood what she was thinking and both started walking once again.

—**°w°—**

A young woman with bright red hair could be seen as the smell of Ashitaba aroused their nostrils. She sat down humming a catchy tune while she picked the herb and placed it carefully in her basket. InuYasha took a step forward to come into her view only to be stopped by Kikyo's hand pulling him behind a tree. "He's here." he said, whispering it into her ear. Kikyo nodded.

The young woman's golden eyes lifted themselves from the ground and into the form that now blocked her light. "Hello, Tsukiko."  
"Sesshomaru." whispered her gentle voice.

* * *

**Sorry for leaving it there and taking so long! D: Too much school work and got sick 2 times in a row. :|**

**Gomen nasai!** *bows head*

1. **tabi** - traditional Japanese socks that separate the big toe from the rest.

2. **geta** - Japanese wooden shoes or sandals.

3. **Wisteria Floribunda** - sturdy woody vines of the wisteria family. All parts of this Japanese Wisteria are poisonous. P.S. the bean-like seeds are the most poisonous of them all.

4. **Ashitaba** - member of the Angelica family. Grows wild in the beaches of Japan, described as early as 300 years ago by Japanese medicine man, Kaibara Ekiken, as a powerful tonic medicine.

**_4th Chapter Coming Soon!_**

**_Also! Tsukiko is my InuYasha OC. I will draw her soon and put a link for her sheet in dA soon so you can know more about her. 3_**

**_Thanks for the support!_**


	4. Sickness

**A.N.: I am so sorry guys! Gomen, Gomen! Trust me, I haven't forgotten about you.  
Actually, when I was done with my OC's sheet (Tsukiko) the most ironic thing happened… My laptops screen got cracked… and now I have to go to Best Buy to get all my files back to this new one.**

**It'll take a while but I'll make sure you guys can view the OC.  
Anyways, there last chapters were fluff. So, in here the real mystery adventure-y type plot comes in.**

Previous Chapter:  
_ A young woman with bright red hair could be seen as the smell of Ashitaba aroused their nostrils. She sat down humming a catchy tune while she picked the herb and placed it carefully in her basket. InuYasha took a step forward to come into her view only to be stopped by Kikyo's hand pulling him behind a tree. "He's here." he said, whispering it into her ear. Kikyo nodded._

_The young woman's golden eyes lifted themselves from the ground and into the form that now blocked her light. "Hello, Tsukiko."  
"Sesshomaru..." whispered her gentle voice._

Chapter 4: Sickness

His gold eyes seemed to be distant, she noticed. This was their second encounter, his and the woman sitting in front of him, picking up the type of plant she had such attachment to.

"We need to talk..." the demon began, "in private." his body did not move but she could clearly see his eyes moving to rest on the tree on their east, as if he could see past all the bark, all the wood, as if there was no tree.

The girl stood up with grace and picked up her basket, holding it tightly as if afraid it'd disappear. Her pale but soft kind of yellow eyes shut themselves as she turned in that direction.

Sesshomaru knew his brother was there, he could smell his filthy half-demon blood a mile away!  
True, this was another of the much opportunities to actually get rid of him but he did not come here to play. He came strictly for business. The soft clay smell also told him he wasn't with his usually gang of comrades but with the girl he had fallen in love with 50 years ago. "Pathetic…" his mind stated before moving beside Tsukiko.

"You hide in vain, half-breed." Sesshomaru said, voice as stone cold as ever.

Out of the corner of the tree they faced, silver hair, much like his brothers, peeked out. Soon enough, before them were two people. One she guessed was his brother thanks of course to the physical similarities, and the woman beside him, got the category of a priestess, soon her guess would be proven right.

The half-demons eyes were glued to his brother, blood boiling just by his presence. The woman's eyes however were glancing from the demon in front of her to the woman besides him. They obviously had crossed paths before, Tsukiko and Sesshomaru, however, what bothered her the most was why had he not killed her and satisfied himself, did he not loath the human kind so much since the beginning of his life?

"What do you want with the girl Sesshomaru?" were the first harsh words that came from the man in a red Hakama. He earned a glare from his brother as he kept talking. Seeing the ever so present tension in the air, Tsukiko finally intervened. "May I help you?" were the soft but firm words that her vocal cords emitted as her eyes locked with those of the other woman in her presence.

A swift hand stopped at InuYasha's shoulder, and almost immediately silence filled the air. The hanyou's eyes were tinted with confusion as his gaze turned to the face of that who had stopped his loud ranting. With a sudden grunt he joined and covered his hands under his sleeves, a common gesture known to him, and looked at the red haired woman.

"My name is Kikyo, and this," she said, pointing at her side, where InuYasha stood. "is InuYasha." She paused shortly "and I believe you know my sister, Kaede." Kikyo stated and in return receive a nod and a small smile tugging at the lips of the woman in their presence. "She has sent me, -sent Us here-, to fulfill her request in asking you to make a visit to her village, for there have been poisoned gentlemen who need your assistance." In between her statement, her eyes moved to the other figure standing before them, as if to let him know they did not come for a fight.

Kaede. She had not heard that name in quite some time. Not since at least a few times a year ago. Of course she could never forget it, could never forget the old woman. How kind she was, and how she did everything she could for the village. In the little time of the various acquaintances she noted the wisdom that surrounded the woman.

Her head gave a slight nod and, taking a step forward, she could sense the gaze of the people at her presence on her body. Her cream lips parted as a sigh managed to escape. "Why don't we discuss this at home." Soft, pale yellow eyes landed on Sesshomaru's face, only to be brought over to his brother after a few shouts. "Oi! What do you mean discuss? You're coming with us, Lady!" Blinking one, twice, thrice, a small chuckle emitted from the back of her throat as she put a hand on the shoulder of the demon besides her. Sesshomaru tensed before quickly hiding it. He did not enjoy physical contact, but he –somehow- did not mind it whenever it was her, which was odd, since Rin was the only human he'd allow to touch him.

"Hey, what's so funny?" InuYasha kept yelling, obviously annoyed. Imitating the woman before her, Kikyo placed one of her soft hands on the hanyou's shoulder.

"InuYasha, I believe you heard Sesshomaru say he wanted to talk to Tsukiko as well." Crossing his arms, the half demon mushroom sighed and looked at his brother whom would pass as calm if it weren't for his gaze. His right eye started to twitch and before he knew it, he left a "Whatever," before Kikyo tightened her grasp, loosened it and nodded.

Kikyo looked around the woman's hut. It felt comfortable, and it was a bit bigger than her sister's. There were of course a current corner of said hut that was filled with baskets full of different plants, including Ashitaba and of course Wisteria Floribunda. Besides them, in the middle corner of the north wall stood a small table with certain tools she guessed where for creating her signature poison. To her left there was a small bundle of burn wood mixed with what she guessed was freshly picked twigs, a pot and few chopsticks neatly placed at its corner. Everything seemed neatly placed; she guessed that the young woman did not like messes. _'Though, it seems… pretty lonely…' _Even though the priestess travelled alone, she did stop by a few villages to play and stay with a few children. In those moments, she felt their laughter keep her from that feeling. The feeling of having no one there. She was used to it now, but she knew how if she stayed in the silence; the darkness too much, it would eventually succumb her into a bottomless abyss whom nobody could reach. In there, nobody could save her. Maybe, that was why she had come to her sister, seeking to vent, seeking some comforting company. Maybe that was why she had indeed agreed for InuYasha to accompany her.

As the hanyou came in mind, her gaze slowly searched for him, and spotted him sitting on a corner, far away from the poisonous and healing plants. As usual, his legs and arms were folded, nose up high. She knew that look. That look that meant he was completely and utterly annoyed and unsatisfied. – Feeling two eyes staring at his physic, his eyelids shot open, coming to rest on the one that stared and the woman he loved. The woman he still loves. – Raising an eyebrow, he gave her his usual –what-are-you-waiting-for- stare and patted the seat beside him. Kikyo shook her head no and sat quietly by his side.

On front of them sat Tsukiko and standing beside her, arms folded, eyes closed, stood InuYasha's brother. He, too, seemed annoyed. Tsukiko's hand slowly shot up and tugged his pants, indicating him to seat down. She knew how his attitude was, knew how he hated taking commands, and would never in his life – that she knew of- obeyed anyone but himself. Being completely honest, him standing that way made her feel nervous. "Ne, gomenasai gozaimasu, demo, can you please sit down?" Slowly but surely, his eyes began to open as he looked at her curious. The way she had said it, almost like a whisper, he was sure she was afraid of him. _'Hmph... Better this way.'_

"No, continue." His eyes closed again and she restrained a sigh. He was always this way, difficult, stubborn, but still, she couldn't quite but why she did not hate him, when she knew his hatred for her race.

Soon after, she only nodded and looked at the couple, she guessed, in front of them.  
"I understand that my presence is needed in your village, however, I have told Sesshomaru that I would do him a favor, whenever he wanted or needed one." She wondered what his request was. It was completely rare for him to come to a mere human for help, or, how he stated "use of your healing abilities." If it was healing, she puzzled together that he would only use her for Rin, since he had already revived her one with his Tenseiga. Her eyes landed back on the demon besides her, and tried to talk to him through her eyes. Opening his eyes for a second time, he gazed into her pale yellow orbs. To her, it felt like if she was stripped naked with his watching not only her, but also her soul. To him, it was only trying to read her eyes. With a quick nod, she took in that her guess was indeed right.

InuYasha's anger flared up by the instant. His blood was boiling, what was she thinking? Blowing life or death matters over some favor! To his BROTHER nonetheless. The men he despised. Of course, his anger towards him did not get to the same level as Naraku, but he was sure of one thing,: Oh it was getting there! "Are you nuts! Lady, MEN ARE DYING! Do you WANT me to spell it out for you?" in between his furious rampage, he had gotten up, fist at the level of his chest, tightened. Kikyo, seeing his knuckles gone white, immediately stood up. "Stop, InuYasha!" soon after, she was standing in front of him both hands on his shoulders. The hanyou's eyes narrowed, his teeth grinding against each other. After a few seconds, his shoulder slumped and his arms hung loosely at his eyes. His silver bangs covering his eyes.

"InuYasha… I'll make this work." Tsukiko said, almost as a whisper. "Please, I beg for you to give me 15 minutes as I talk to my…" her… was Sesshomaru her friend? No. She didn't think so, every time he came it was for personal problems, strictly for business. Her comrade? She did not believe so either. They had never faugh side by side. "Acquaintance." It was the least she could use. It was sure, in her mind, that he would never mention it again. After all, he barely talked to her about anything but what he came for.

The half demon could only manage to blink from the slight shock. His brother, cold as he may be, just maybe, had a soft spot. That was the only reason he could think of for him to be acting so unusual. Towards a human nonetheless. Well, she was doing him a favor, but even so, if he no longer needed her abilities, would he kill her? She was a human… - "Thank you." Kikyo's voice slipped gently into the air. InuYasha just shook his head and gave a slight nod.

On the twilight sky, already filled with starlight a huge white feather could be seen. On top of this was a woman whom faced seemed to have a look that would make anyone sink their head to the ground. She was angry, no, she was simple outraged. Her right hand, even though holding her usual fan, griped her left shoulder where a gash and spilled blood could be seen. Grinding her teeth and closer her eyes shut she cursed Sesshomaru for leaving her in this state.

Her mission was simple enough. 'Go, Kagura. Take my bugs and poison that little girl from InuYasha's older brother.' Were the words Naraku had stated before ordering to leave him alone. She scoffed. Always having to do his errands, how pathetic. What was he up to this time anyways? She had, at some point, heard him talking to himself, but that bothersome demon did not intent to tell her anything about his new plans.

She, indeed, had completed the mission, and in return, got hurt from the child's 'protection-like' figure. And just when she thought she would escape, un-harmed, Sesshomaru had come and slashed her shoulder. After that, everything was a blur. True, at one point, she knew this would affect the times when she wanted to make a deal with him, but to this day, Naraku still held her heart. With his strong, demon grip, in a second, she could find herself dead.

Putting the missions matters aside, her mind traveled to another subject. A few weeks ago, Naraku had sent her to get another piece of the Shikon jewel. She couldn't help but notice that with each week, they had at gained enough shards to form at least half of the jewel. Besides this, she could tell that Naraku kept using demons to this world, hiding them in different places surrounding the place of which his current residence. They weren't the usual normal demons. In fact, she had seen at least 2. They were different. Stronger than usual. An evil aura surrounded them, and they were practically 8 feet tall. But, they seemed like domesticated animals. They did not have the usual aggressive nature and blood-lust attacks on humans. They just, obeyed his every order like a lost puppy followed anyone around, looking for a home.

The scenery before her was never really given too much attention, beautiful as it was. Before she knew it, Night fell upon it's kindom. The brilliant starts servers of its queen seemed to dance around her, and yet, such beauty was ignored by the fellow demon.

–As she arrived at the current temple her 'master' was occupying, she jumped out of the feather as it became smaller and landed on her hand. As she placed it with the other in her hair her feet dragged her inside. With her right hand she slid the door open and took a hallway placed on the left which she sensed Naraku was resting upon. Once she entered she kneeled before him, his face turned to hers and with a quick glance, he looked at the window at his right. "Sesshomaru tried to kill you?" his voice was sort of low, and after the question-like statement a few coughs were heard.

"Yes, and you are sick, Naraku." Was the respond that came his way. As usual, her voice was cocky. Silence soon filled the room and after what seemed like forever the cruel _thing_ before her sighed. "Go get that treated. We have something to discuss tomorrow." And with that, his face turned, only to find the space good and hear the soft thud as she closed the door.

Unlike Kagura, Naraku contemplated the Moon on its reign. "Soon, my dear, soon."

"I see. Poisoned…" she paused "and sick at the same time…" her voice let out more than she needed. It showed her concern, her DEEP concern for the girl whom was poisoned. Taking a look at the man in front of her. He was still, calm, poised. Shoulders straight, face leaned down to look at her figure which whom compared to him was smaller. His eyes were making hers cling to the captivators golden eyes as if his bare presence were gone, so was hers. Blinking rapidly, she half turned away. "Can you bring her to me at Kaede's Village?"

Kaede's village. Another adventure. Another bundle of health and life she had to take care of. Sometimes, it made her somewhat afraid, having so much people's life, soul in her hands. If you think she could only poison and cure poison you were quite wrong. She was indeed a priestess, even though nobody knew. It was a secret for hers to keep. She healed and she took poison away. She tried her very best to keep the people from her village, any in fact –that needed her held, healthy and worry free. True, they knew she battled demons whenever there was trouble near her, and they knew she was the kind of healer you could barely replace. And at moments, some of the people around accused her of indeed being a priestess, only to be taken aback by her negligence towards such a thing, bringing white lies here and there. Why did she neglect to actually agree to their indeed right guesses she would never know. One person, or demon, if you will, knew about her more than any other. She had no idea how and when he had taken time to analyze her but pushed it away after knowing that it was probably after the times she took after Rin's health. "I'll take care of her,"

The demon somewhat narrowed his eyes. The village her brother usually resided in? Almost as an instinct he firmly said no, only to notice it had been on his own mind. He had to be reasonable, after all. If he wanted Rin to be back to normal, if he wanted no more bitching coming out from his brother, he would do almost anything.

His head gave a slight not and his eyes turned back to normal. "I'll wait for you. Don't be late." And with his usual cold demands he disappeared.  
Mentally, Tsukiko sighed. Did he really have to keep up those cold walls, protecting him from the world beyond his understanding? Did he not realize that even if he, or his company, was not in any danger she would always be willing to lend a hand? He was mysterious, and she viewed him as a riddle. The kind she had trouble trying to keep up with. Maybe, that was the reason her insides kept acting up. Or why no matter how cold, she knew deep down he was grateful.

–As she walked inside her cabin once more, she looked at the travelers before her and gave them a small warm smile. In response, Kikyo returned it and InuYasha unfolded his hands from his long red sleeves. "Well?" His tone was indeed calm, what did that priestess do to him?

"We will leave tomorrow morning." Were the last words said that night as she blew the candle that had currently kept her cabin a-glow, each one on their own twisted mind, dreaming…

* * *

**Again, sorry for the tardy-ness. I hope this makes up for my lateness. Tell me what you think, and if you find any errors. I'll fix. (:  
P.S. Thank you for reading. If you have any ideas you want me to put in there, review. And the next chapter is coming in a few weeks.**

**Arigato~,**

**Miku.  
**


	5. Old Friends, New Acquaintances

**Again, sorry it took so long. I had to return the other laptop because of some problems so I'm doing this from a friends' computer. I might have rushed this a bit and it might be a filler-like chapter but you know, an update is an update. Sorry it is short, though. Hope you like it and if you find any errors let me know, please.**

**Chapter 5: Old Friends, New "Acquaintances" **

His face unusually softened as he looked at the small girl sleeping soundlessly against the shadowy glances of a tree. The peaceful music played by the winds, the leaves shuddering and fluttering as instruments, was a beautiful thing. Sad, however, that the moment was interrupted by the grouchy and pitchy voice of his, irritating yet loyal, imps' assistant. One of his masters' glares, thankfully, shut his pointy mouth up.

"Call Ah-Un, Jaken. We're going someplace." He said, looking at the girls' peaceful face, despite being in an ill condition. His small assistant only nodded once and proceeded to call the giant two-headed dragon. Trying to be gentle enough to not wake her up, his hands brought the small child to his chest and once he felt the wind pick-up and a thud, he walked over to the dragon and placed her on its saddle. Looking straight at Ah-Un left head's left eye, he spoke loud and clear, a sign that meant his words meant to be taken by both dragon and kappa yōkai very seriously.

"Do NOT let anything happen to her. Take her to Kaede's village."

And with that, he was gone.

"Come in, Kagura." His voice, muffled, still sounded full of command. Taking the irritated expression out of her face, she slid the door open and kneeled before her "master".

His attention was out of the window, where a nice breeze hit his face. In a few days, his plan would be complete. With or without the jewel, he would be complete, and he would bring her back.

"Go, check if the demon I currently summoned is at the nearest village at the east."

Suppressing a groan, she did what was told and headed out of the room, shutting the door with a thud. The last thing she heard was a small chuckle and a few cough.

Morning to them was natural. It didn't surprise him that he did not once get up. The comfort was too great for it to be ruined. He was sure, that eventually, it would come to an end, but he got so caught up with it that he did not think it'd end that fast. Everything felt at ease, everything seemed to fit. How her head seemed to fit at the crock of his neck. How his arms seemed to be fit to be around her petite and thin waist and hers seemed to be made to be pressed between their chests. And her fragrance, oh her fragrance seemed to drive him wild! She smelled like bellflowers and cinnamon, despite the fact that her body was made of clay.

He just wondered if she would be mad once she woke up. After all, he had brought her to his lap after he was sure she was asleep. At the moment he wondered if she was awake because of her sudden sigh and pressing herself against him, but after making sure, some part of him was content and sure that she wanted to be him despite her cold façade. But of course, morning came, and once she woke up and looked confusedly at his chest and then tilted her head to meet his eyes, she had jumped out of his lap and held her hand on chest.

Looking curiously over at her as she walked ahead, talking to Tsukiko about some subject he couldn't place. A sigh escaped his lips as the scene played back on his mind. Tch… He guessed it was better that was; after all, Kagome might come and would have seen them, which would be major problem. Kagome… she was a subject that hadn't crossed his mind in a while. He had to admit, Kikyo suddenly made her be blocked from his mind, but he still, without admitting it to anyone besides himself, he did miss her. Sure, they fought a lot and she was a bit of a nuisance at battle, but her company and her high spirit was somewhat enjoyable. Still, if she came back when Kikyo was still in the village, what would happen?...

Being so caught up with his thoughts, InuYasha didn't even notice that the girls had stopped talking, and that Kikyo was now a bit closer to him.

-**°w°**-

(Gomenasai!...)

As she hopped off of one of the wells wood walls, she looked at her surroundings and a smile spread across her face. Breathing in the fresh air she commonly associated with the Feudal Era, she grabbed the –as usual – too big bag and started heading towards Kaede's village.

She had to admit, it felt good to be back. True, she only stayed for one night and got only several of her homework – the most important – done, but she couldn't help it. No matter how much she liked her soft bed and the feeling of cleanness she received after showering on her own bathroom, with privacy, might she add, it felt better seeing InuYasha every day.

Even though this morning she had a few interruptions, a.k.a. Hojo, but everything was fine. Kagome knew that the boy liked her, and she was grateful on how much he cared and everything he brought her, but she couldn't exactly return the same feelings. She felt kind of guilty – deceiving him this way. Telling him she was sick when she just wanted to come help clean the mess she made and see InuYasha every day. By now, she was well aware of her feelings for the hanyou. She knew she loved him, and she vowed that nothing would get in her way. Not even the dead miko.

So, with a happy smile and thoughts filled with the half-demon, she didn't even notice how her pace quickened and soon found herself entering Kaede's hut.

"Kaede-san! I'm back!" she said full of glee.

The old woman had her back to the door. When she turned around, she could swear that she saw a feared expression on her old face. But it was gone far too quickly for her to actually prove anything. A small smile spread across her face, but her eyes seemed somewhat weary.

"Oh, welcome back child." Kaede's voice was soft and mixed with another emotion Kagome couldn't place.

"Kagome! Kagome you're back!" she heard a squeaky voice say behind the woman.

"Hey Ship–" but before she could actually finish the sentence, the small fox was upon her chest, hugging her however much he could with his little hands.

A few giggled escaped her mouth and a joyful squeak came out as well. Hugging the small demon back, she cuddles her face against his own.

Kaede, knowing full well that her sister might back here any second and that if they actually confronted each other, things would not go well. Considering InuYasha was with Kikyo. Plus, the young girl seemed in such a happy mood. But then really, when wasn't she? Even if InuYasha got her mad she was still in a somewhat happy mood. Kagome is really sweet, with everybody, well, at least almost everyone. Unlike her sister, whom was basically cold to everyone until she got to meet them, then she got sweet. Holding back a sweat drop and sigh, she forced a smile.

"Child, weren't ye supposed to finish off some school work?" Now that the old woman thought of it, weren't Kagome supposed to stay for a while longer? That was the whole reason she had asked her sister to help her out and take InuYasha with her. She feared that they hadn't gotten the talk they needed. She could only hope, really.

"Well, you see – "

"Hey Old – ouch !" InuYasha. A sweet smile took place on Kagome's face "Why? Jeez, we're here." She wondered who he was with? Where was he before? Where were Miroku and Sango? "We came as fast as we could sister," and the smile was gone. In front of her stood her crush, his dead lover and another girl that she had no idea who it was.

When Kikyo entered the cabin, followed by Tsukiko and InuYasha, she stopped dead in her tracks. That school girl was there. Wasn't she supposed to be gone? Keeping her face clear of disgust, she looked back from her sister and the girl. It seemed that behind her, InuYasha had a shocked face, looking between Kagome and Kikyo. Tsukiko, she was just smiling at Kaede warmly.

"Welcome back sister, InuYasha and – Tsukiko" her voice was edgy, but she tried to compose herself, and trying to avoid further awkwardness, her gaze settled on the child she hadn't seen in years, and smiled back.

**Again, I apologize it took long! I mean, school got harder, so a lot more work, had to update on my anime (:3) and plan some things out. Well, I hope the next chapter comes sooner than this, guys. Also, I think I'll be starting another story, not a InuKikyo one though. I'm feeling like a SasuIno (favorite Naruto pairing besides NaruHina). *blush***

**Oh! And for those of you guys that had a few ideas for me, you can post them on comments or inbox me. (:  
I've been thinking about doing a collab. story with someone? **

**Arigatogozaimasu!**

**-Miku**


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